Hilary Knight relationship, career and achievements: Inside the legacy of America’s most celebrated women’s ice hockey player

Hilary Knight, captain of the U.S. women’s national ice hockey team, has shared joyful personal news during the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. The veteran forward posted a heartwarming video on Instagram showing the moment she proposed to American speed skater Brittany Bowe. The clip, titled “Olympics brought us together,” captures Knight going down on one knee and offering Bowe an engagement ring, which the speed skater happily accepted.The emotional proposal has quickly become one of the most talked-about moments of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Notably, Knight is competing in her fifth and final Olympic Games. Now, she is also celebrating a life-changing milestone off it. The couple announced their engagement on February 18, 2026, saying the Winter Games made them “forever.”Hilary Knight was born in Sun Valley, Idaho, and later moved to Illinois. She fell in love with ice hockey at a very young age. Reports say she dreamed of playing in the Olympics when she was just five years old. Those dreams became reality when she first competed at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.Over the years, Knight has built one of the most decorated careers in women’s hockey. She played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin from 2007 to 2012 before starting her professional career with the Boston Blades. She has played in major leagues such as the CWHL, NWHL, and now the PWHL. Currently, she represents Seattle Torrent.Knight has won four Olympic medals. The 36 year old has earned silver medals in 2010, 2014, and 2022. Her biggest achievement came at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where Team USA defeated Canada 3-2 in a dramatic shootout to win gold. It was the team’s first gold medal in women’s hockey in 20 years.Hilary Knight net worth is estimated at $5 million (as per Mabumbe). Reportedly, the top PWHL players earn between $80,000 and $120,000 or more per season.Hilary Knight and Brittany Bowe first met at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. They began dating soon after. Bowe once explained that she had little knowledge of hockey at first. She shared that Knight was unfamiliar with speed skating too. She said that is what makes the Olympics special, as it brings together athletes from different sports who might never meet otherwise.